Applicator and massage device



June 1953 D. M. SENCABAUGH 3,3

APPLICATOR AND MASSAGE DEVICE Filed Oct. 1, 1965 INVENTOR. DWIGHT M.SENCABAUGH ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,389,418 APPLICATOR ANDMASSAGE DEVICE Dwight M. Sencabaugh, 15319 Edgewater Drive, Lakewood,Ohio 44107 Filed Oct. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 492,029 3 Claims. (Cl. 15-244)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An applicator has a body member for holding acompressible applicator member. The body member has a slot therethroughwith at least one enlarged portion and restricted portion and a barb forretaining the applicator member.

The present invention relates to applicators or massagers and moreparticularly to applicators having compressible absorbent applicatormembers connected to man- I ually operable body members.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is the provisionof a new and improved applicator or massaging device, preferably onesuitable for applying a soap lather to the skin preparatory to shaving,and including an applicator member detachably carried by a body memberand which is simple in construction and easily manufactured and which isso constructed and arranged that the applicator member may be easilyconnected and disconnected from the body member and yet is firmlyconnected to the body member during use.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a new andimproved applicator device including a body member having a slottherein, an applicator member extending through the slot and compressedby the sides of the slot and providing an applicating surface on atleast one side of the body member.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a new andimproved applicator device including a body member having slot meanstherein and an applicator member extending through the slot means andcompressively engaged with sides of the slot means and providing anapplicating surface on at least one side of the body member and whichincludes means for detachably securing one end of said applicator memberto said body member.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a new andimproved applicator device including a body member having slot meanstherein and an applicator member extending through the slot means andcompressively engaged with sides of the slot means to provide anapplicator surface on at least one side of the body member and whereinthe slot means also includes an enlarged portion through which theapplicator member may be insert ed and removed when desired.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a consideration of the detailed description thereof and ofthe drawings which form a part of the specification and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an applicator embodying the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the applicator holder shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken approximately at line 33 of FIG. 1.

The present invention relates to applicators or massaging devices and isparticularly useful for applying a lather to the skin for shavingpurposes. As shown in the drawings, the applicator includes a bodymember 11 and an applicator member 12. The body member is formed from asheet of relatively rigid, corrosion resistant metal or plasticmaterial. The body member of the 3,389,418 Patented June 25, 1968 "iceapplicator shown is formed of aluminum. The body member includes ahandle portion 13 and a support portion 14 to which the applicatormember is detachably connected. In the preferred embodiments the handleportion 13 is spaced longitudinally from the support portion, but thebody member may be formed in any desired shape depending upon theintended use of the applicator, for example, the body member may be bentinto a generally U-shaped configuration so that the handle portion willcoextend with the support portion.

As shown in FIG. 1, the support portion 14 is continuous with the handleportion 13 and includes a first part 15 integral with the handle and asecond projecting part 16 integral with and projecting from the part 15.The part 16 is generally parallel with but offset from the handleportion 13 by the part 15 which is at an obtuse angle to the handleportion 13 and the part 16. The applicator member 12 is carried by thesupport portion 14 and extends through a slot means 17 formed in thesupport portion. Slot means 17 extends through the material of the bodymember and longitudinally of the support portion.

The applicator member 12 is preferably composed of a resilientlycompressible porous material such as sponge rubber, or similar material,and is detachably connected to the support portion 14 of the bodymember. When connected to the support member, as illustrated, theapplicator member includes applicator pads 22 and 23 at opposite sidesof the support portion 14 which are integrally connected by a webportion 24 composed of the sponge material in a compressed condition.

An important feature of the present invention is the ease with which theapplicator member may be connected to the body member and removedtherefrom whenever replacement of the applicator member becomesdesirable. As shown in the drawings, the slot means 17 includes straightparallel sided portions 25 and 26 which are separated by an enlargedslot portion 27 located adjacent the intersection between the first andsecond parts of the support portion. The enlarged slot portion 27permits passage of that portion of the applicator member 12 which formsthe applicator pad 22 therethrough so that the web portion 24 of theapplicator member may be fed along the straight sided portion 25 of theslot means 17 while the aforementioned portion which forms theapplicator pad 22 is fed through the enlarged portion 27. This enlargedportion constitutes a relieved section in the slot means so that theportion of the applicator 12 which forms the applicator pad 22, as it isinserted therethrough, need only be slightly compressed. The enlargedslot portion also prevents laceration and permanent deformation of theapplicator pad as the applicator .member is being inserted into the slotmeans 17.

The applicator member is preferably inserted into the slot means fromthe bottom of the body member 11, as viewed in the drawings, and theentire applicator member is fed onto the second support part 16 so thatthe web portion 24 is held in the portion 25 of the slot means. When theapplicator member has been completely assembled in the body member withthat portion thereof which for-ms the pad 22 having been fed through theenlarged portion 27 of the slot means, and with web portion 24positioned in portion 25 of the slot means, the end 30 of the applicatormember is then fed, or pulled, back into the portion 26 of the slotmeans located on the first part 15 of the support portion. When theapplicator and body members are thus assembled, the straight sidedportions 25 and 26 of the slot means compressively and frictionallyengage the web portion 24 of the applicator member and hold theapplicator member against sliding with respect to the body member whilethe applicator is being used.

The end of the slot means 17 nearest to the handle portion 13 of thebody member is provided with a secnd enlarged portion 31 into which anend of the web 24 moves as the applicator member is moved or pulled backtoward the end of the slot means. When the web portion 24 slides intoenlarged portion 31, the compression of the web member is relievedpermitting the web member to expand. When the web portion expands, barbmembers 32 and 33 in the second enlarged portion 31 of the slot meansengage the material of the applicator member to detachably secure theend 30 of the applicator member against movement in the slot meanstoward enlarged portion 27.

Removal of the applicator member from the support portion isaccomplished by releasing the end 30 of the applicator member from thebarbs 32 and 33 and sliding it along the first part of the supportportion toward the second projecting part 16 to a position where the endis located in the enlarged slot portion 27. When the applicator memberis in this position the portion of the applica tor member which formseither of the applicator pads 22 or 23 is pushed through the enlargedslot portion 27 and the applicator member is slid from the body memberin reverse manner from which it was placed thereon. In order to preventthe barb members 32 and 33 from tearing the material of the applicatormember during its removal from the body member, the end of the webportion, located in the enlarged portion 31 of the slot means, ismanually compressed as the end 38 of the applicator member is movedtoward enlarged portion 27 of the slot means.

An applicator member of the type shown by FIG. 1 may have various shapesin its relaxed condition. The applicator member, for example, may be asquare parallelopiped and compression of the portion of theparallelopiped in the slot means forms the web portion 24 be tween thepad members 22 and 23 and causes the surfaces 34 and 35 of theapplicator pad portions to assume a curved shape as shown in thedrawings. In the preferred embodiments, the applicator member 12, in itsrelaxed condition is of greater length than slot means 17 so that whenthe applicator member is connected to the support portion, the ends 30and 41 of the applicator member extend beyond the ends of slot means 17and form generally spherical sections which curve toward the supportportion 14 in the manner illustrated. Side edges 36 and 37 and end edge40 of the projecting part 16 are of such dimension that the end 41 ofthe applicator member Will be supported by the projecting part 16 butare configured so that the projecting part will not protrude frombetween the applicator pads.

From the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of theinvention, it will be apparent that the objects heretofore enumeratedand others have been accomplished and that there has been provided anovel and improved applicator or massage device. While a specificapplicator member has been shown and described in relation to aparticular applicator body member it should be appreciated that theapplicator member may be satisfactorily used in conjunction with othertypes of applicator body members. Although the preferred embodiment ofthe present invention has been described in considerable detail, theinvention is not limited to the precise construction shown. My intentionis to cover hereby all adaptations, modifications and uses of theapplicator shown which come within the practice of those skilled in theart to which the invention relates and within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In an applicator of the character described, a body member comprisinga manually engageable handle portion and a projecting portion havingslot means having a pontmuous periphery therethrough, said slot meansincludmg a restricted portion and an enlarged portion, an applicatormember composed of a resiliently compressible porous material and havingfirst and second opposed pad portions extending longitudinally of saidapplicator member and extending oppositely from said projecting portion,said applicator member including a compressed web portion connectingsaid first and second portions and integral therewith, said web portionand sides of said slot means being in tight frictional engagementwhereby said applicator member is held against movement relative to saidslot means during use and barb means on said body member for engagingthe material of said web portion to resist movement of a portion of saidapplicator member in one direction relative to said slot means, saidbarb means being located in the enlarged portion of said slot means.

2. In an applicator of the character described, a body member comprisinga manually engageable handle portion and a projecting portion havingslot means with a continuous periphery therethrough, an applicatormember composed of a resiliently compressible porous material and havingfirst and second opposed pad portions extending longitudinally of saidapplicator member and extending on opposite sides of said projectingportion, said applicator member also including a compressed web portionconnecting said first and second portions and integral therewith, saidweb portion and sides of said slot means being in tight frictionalengagement whereby said applicator member is held against movementrelative to said slot means, said slot means including a first enlargedportion located intermediate opposite ends thereof and a second enlargedportion forming barb members engageable with said web portion to resistmovement of a portion of said applicator member in one directionrelative to said slot means during use of said applicator and first andsecond restricted portions the first of which is located near an end ofthe slot means and the second of which is located between said first andsecond enlarged portions.

3. In a device of the character described: a body member comprising amanually engageable handle portion and a projecting portion havinglongitudinally extending slot means with a continuous peripherytherethrough, said slot means including a first enlarged portion locatedintermediate opposite ends thereof, a second enlarged portion formingbarb members, and first and second restricted portions the first ofwhich is located near an end of said slot means and the second of whichis located between said first and second enlarged portions; and anelongated applicator member comprised of a resiliently compressibleporous material disposed in said slot means and in tight frictionalengagement with the walls thereof and having portions providing firstand second opposed pad portions extending longitudinally of saidprojecting portion of said body on opposite sides thereof; said barbmembers of said second enlarged portion engageable with said compressedportion of said applicator member in said slot means to resist movementof said applicator member in one direction relative to said slot means,and said projecting portion of said body member being deformed in thevicinity of said first enlarged portion of said slot means so that atleast a part of said first enlarged portion of said slot means and oneof said first and second restricted portions of said slot means lie ingenerally intersecting planes to facilitate assembly of said applicatormember with said body member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 153,309 9/1949 Morrison.

723,462 3/1903 Hart.

938,421 10/1909 Hakins 15244 1,291,131 1/1919 Radel 15-147 2,479,1318/1949 Pari 15209 2,697,241 12/1954 Oishei 15-25042 2,886,840 5/1959Spratlin 15-143 X FOREIGN PATENTS 679,610 2/1964 Canada.

56,907 7/1952 France. 1,016,589 8/1952 France. 1,076,916 4/1954 France.

884,945 7/ 1953 Germany.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner.

